Three months had passed since Hayato, under the alias "Raylight," had begun his journey in Virtual World Awakening. The once-bright and sprawling landscapes of the game were now deeply etched into his mind. Every corner of the forest map, every hidden path, and every potential ambush point had been meticulously memorized. His current prey: stone golems, their towering forms crashing to the ground under the swift, precise strikes of his dual blades. Each golem was a massive, hulking mass of rock, their slow, lumbering movements deceptively powerful. But Hayato knew their patterns, exploiting their sluggish reactions with quick, lethal strikes. As the last golem crumbled, a system message flashed before his eyes—Level 50.
Hayato barely glanced at the notification. His focus was elsewhere as he opened his menu and navigated to the leaderboard with practiced ease. His fingers moved quickly, each motion fluid, a result of countless hours spent honing his skills. But as the page loaded, his face twisted in frustration.
"How? How is this possible?" Hayato muttered, his voice edged with disbelief. "I’ve been playing non-stop for three months. Sleeping only every other day… and it’s still not enough to reach first place!?"
His character, Raylight, was listed on the second page, ranked 11th overall—an impressive feat, but not enough for him. The fact that he was the only player in the top 20 without a guild was a point of pride, but it also fueled his frustration.
"I don’t need a guild," Hayato growled, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. "I’ll surpass them all on my own."
Back in the dimly lit confines of his apartment, Hayato reclined in his gaming chair, staring at the darkened screen with narrowed eyes. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of his computer. Frustration gnawed at him, but he forced himself to push it aside, focusing instead on what he did best: strategy. A notification sound broke the silence, and Hayato clicked on the message, which opened a page on the game’s official site.
His eyes scanned the text rapidly, his mind processing the information almost instinctively. When his gaze landed on the headline, his heart skipped a beat.
"First Artifact Event: A Weapon That Adapts to Its User... Lightning?"
Intrigued, Hayato clicked on the sword icon, and a video began to play. The sword was sleek, its design elegant yet deadly—blue and black, crackling with electricity. The description mentioned that the weapon combined the mobility of a single-handed style with the reach of a two-handed sword. It was also the lightest weapon in the game.
"This… This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!" Hayato’s eyes gleamed with excitement. The wheels in his mind began to turn rapidly, formulating plans. "Not only does it fit my fighting style perfectly, but it’ll also be worth a fortune."
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The next week passed in a blur of preparation. Hayato poured over maps, ran simulations, and honed his skills to a razor’s edge. When the day of the event arrived, the forest city was abuzz with anticipation. The Last Standing or Kill the Boss event had drawn players from across the game’s world. Only those ranked within the top 100 were eligible to participate, and the forest, usually bright and vibrant, was now shrouded in an unnatural darkness, adding to the tension.
Hayato stood apart from the others, his figure cloaked in the shadows, observing the throngs of players who had gathered. Most were forming groups, chattering excitedly about their strategies, oblivious to the fact that their plans were already unraveling in his mind. His eyes narrowed as he spotted a warrior striding confidently towards him.
The warrior was a behemoth of a man, clad in heavy armor that clanked with every step. He stopped in front of Hayato, a wide grin plastered on his face. "The DragonForce guild is going to win this event!" he boasted, his voice booming.
Hayato barely glanced at him, his expression bored. "Really? Congratulations."
The warrior’s grin widened, clearly pleased with himself. "HAHAHA! Glad you recognize the greatness of DragonForce. We’re going to take down the GM and secure that artifact!"
This is the kind of person I despise the most, Hayato thought, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.
"Usually, I wouldn’t reveal our plan unless you joined our guild, but since you recognize our greatness, you’re worthy of knowing!" the warrior boasted, puffing out his chest with pride.
Hayato feigned awe, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, that’s incredible! How has no one thought of that strategy before? But unfortunately, I can’t join your guild."
The warrior blinked, his bravado faltering slightly. "How did you know I was going to invite you?"
"I don’t come close to the greatness of DragonForce," Hayato continued, his tone mocking. "But I’m working hard. Maybe someday, I’ll be worthy."
The warrior nodded, completely missing the sarcasm. "Keep trying, kid! Watch us win this event! HAHAHA!" He turned and walked away, still laughing, completely unaware of Hayato’s disdain.
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What an idiot, Hayato thought as he watched the warrior leave. The man was a fool, blinded by arrogance and completely unaware of the traps lying in wait for him.
Deciding to get a better look at his competition, Hayato began to walk through the city. His eyes soon landed on a group clustered around the top-ranked player, "TAKASH1," a warrior surrounded by his guildmates. The man was a symbol of power in the game, his presence alone commanding respect. Hayato sneered at the sight, but the group paid him no mind as they strategized.
Moving on, Hayato’s attention was drawn to another group led by a player from the assassin class. The assassin was grinning maliciously as he addressed his followers, his words smooth and calculated.
"Together, we’re stronger!" the assassin declared, his voice dripping with false camaraderie. "I’ve heard DragonForce plans to attack the GM. We can use that opportunity to strike the final blow and claim the artifact! I don’t want it for myself—I’m just giving you all a chance to take it before the top guild does!"
As the assassin spoke, Hayato couldn’t help but scoff internally at the gullibility of the other players. His eyes, however, were drawn to a figure standing near the assassin—a female player with a rifle slung over her back. Her straight, black hair framed a face that radiated a noble air of maturity. She seemed uninterested in the assassin’s speech, her gaze distant, as if her mind was elsewhere. Curious, Hayato quickly checked her profile and saw that she had created her character by scanning her real body. The accuracy was striking, and her username, Nagareboshi, caught his eye. He also noticed that she was in the same guild as the assassin—DesertLotus. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Hayato’s heart skipped a beat, a rare moment of vulnerability that he quickly shoved aside. Embarrassed by the unexpected connection, he turned away, dismissing the encounter.
She’s out of my league, he thought, forcing his attention back to the task at hand. The event was about to begin, and there was no room for distractions.
Suddenly, the sky darkened even further, drawing everyone’s attention to the massive tree in the center of the city. A beam of light illuminated the figure standing atop the tree—a GM, or Game Master, dressed in a long robe with a staff in hand. The GM’s face was hidden beneath a hood, and the letters "GM" were emblazoned on the back of the robe. All eyes were on him as he began to speak.
"Good evening, everyone. Remember, this event is only for those ranked in the top 100," the GM announced, his voice resonating across the city.
With a snap of his fingers, several players in the crowd were teleported away, leaving only those who qualified.
"I’m sure you’ve all read the rules, but I’ll go over them one more time for good measure," the GM continued. "The event will take place across the entire map. Every five minutes, a yellow zone will appear. Five minutes later, that zone will turn red. Staying in a red zone for more than five seconds will teleport you to another map, disqualifying you. The event area will continue to shrink until there’s only one player left standing or until the GM Boss is defeated. PKing is not allowed. If you’re caught by the GM, you’ll be teleported immediately. The city is a safe zone for the first ten minutes, but after that, it will be the first area to turn yellow. All other zones will be randomized. The GM Boss will start in the center of the map. Good luck to you all."
With that, the GM disappeared, and the night returned to normal. A message flashed on everyone’s screens—GM Boss will appear in five minutes. The city was still relatively calm, with some players beginning to venture out while others waited for the safe zone to expire. Hayato studied the map intently.
If I were the GM, how would I eliminate the most players? he pondered, his mind running through various scenarios. The GM will start in the center of the map, so he’ll likely head straight for the city. I should avoid the center and stick to the edges, then make my way to the north-central part of the map.
With a final glance at the other players, Hayato slipped out of the city, moving silently toward the northern part of the map.
The worst mistake anyone can make in this event is staying in the city. They’ll be the first to go… though there are always some who are even dumber.
A series of distant screams confirmed his thoughts.
In the center of the forest map, the GM Boss appeared, his robe billowing around him as he surveyed the area. Members of the DragonForce guild were already in position, hidden in the trees and behind bushes, ready to strike. As the GM Boss took his first step, the warrior from earlier shouted.
"Now!"
The melee fighters and magic users unleashed their attacks in unison, rushing at the GM Boss with everything they had. But with a single, powerful strike of his staff against the ground, the GM Boss sent them all flying, nullifying their attacks. Only a delayed spell managed to connect, barely scratching the GM Boss’s health bar.
The GM Boss raised his staff, pointing it at the warrior who had shouted the command. Fireballs erupted from the staff in rapid succession, overwhelming the warrior and eliminating him from the event. Panic spread through the remaining DragonForce members—some screamed, others tried to flee. But the GM Boss wasn’t done. He slammed his staff into the ground once more, raising it high above his head. A rain of fireballs descended upon the forest, igniting the trees and engulfing the players in flames. Cries of anguish filled the air as more were eliminated, leaving only one swordsman sitting on the ground, trembling in fear.
The GM Boss turned his gaze on the lone survivor, who stared back in terror. With a final, menacing gesture, the GM Boss conjured a pillar of fire that consumed the swordsman, his scream echoing through the burning forest. This was the scream that Hayato had heard earlier.
As the GM Boss began to move toward the city, the fire continued to spread, lighting up the night sky. Not far from the chaos, Kurogiri and his group watched the destruction unfold.
"I see…" Kurogiri muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Impossible. There’s no way to defeat the GM," one of the assassins in his group said, his voice trembling with fear. The others nodded in agreement, their confidence shaken.
But Kurogiri’s lips curled into a sly smile. "Change of plans."
Without warning, Kurogiri lashed out, his twin daggers flashing in the dim light as he struck the assassin multiple times, finishing him off in a flurry of blows. He then turned on a sniper from the group, dispatching him with the same ruthless efficiency. The remaining members of the group stared in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.